Horse Country: A Signature Loudoun Experience

“Loudoun County is the Old Dominion in riding breeches,” wrote travel writer Sharon Cavlieer. We couldn't have said it better ourselves. With the state’s largest and the nation’s third largest horse population, Loudoun County’s designation as horse country defines its culture and its character. Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Virginia Piedmont, Loudoun’s horse country offers visitors a stunning landscape to explore.

Steeplechase Races, Stable Tours, & More!

One of the best ways for visitors to experience horse country is by attending one of our many steeplechase races during the spring and fall. These thrilling events, held at historic locations such as Glenwood Park in Middleburg, Morven Park and Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg, and Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, feature colorfully-clad jockeys riding galloping horses through courses of obstacle jumps, hairpin turns, and high-speed home stretches.

For an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at some of the country's most glamorous and luxurious horse farms, attend the Hunt Country Stable Tour on Memorial Day weekend. At this annual event, owners of the country's premier Thoroughbred breeding farms, show hunter barns, and country estates open their gates and invite visitors to view their exquisite grounds, magnificent stables, and extensive training facilities.

During the holiday season, a wonderful way to experience another side of Loudoun's horse heritage is by attending Christmas in Middleburg, held the first Saturday in December. Each year, the local hunt club kicks off the day's festivities with a pack of hunting hounds parading through town followed closely by nearly 100 horses and riders in red coats and causing quite a stir.

The Upperville Colt and Horse & Show, held every June near Middleburg, is the oldest horse show in the country. Steeped in tradition, it extends a full seven days and involves over two thousand horse and rider combinations from young children on ponies to leading Olympic and World Cup riders and horses.

The Morven Park Equestrian Center, situated on the grounds of Governor Westmoreland Davis's historic estate in Leesburg offers visitors year-round events such as pony shows and dressage competitions.

See Grace Kelly’s Carriage

Loudoun County offers several attractions where visitors can learn more about its equine heritage.

Morven Park's Museum of Hounds and Hunting features art, artifacts, and memorabilia of the centuries-old tradition of foxhunting. Some of the highlights of their collection include Jackie Kennedy's riding "pinks" and General George S. Patton's hunting diaries. Also at Morven Park is the Winmill Carriage Collection, where antique vehicles used between the mid 1800s and the early 1900s are beautifully restored and on display. Don’t miss Tom Thumb’s carriage of the Barnum and Bailey Circus or Grace Kelly’s Carriage from her film The Swan.

In Middleburg, the National Sporting Library offers visitors one of the most comprehensive equestrian libraries in the United States with more than 11,000 books on horse and field sports dating back to the 1500s.

The town of Middleburg itself could be considered a horse country attraction. Known as the capital of Virginia's horse country, the equine influence is evident in its horse themed shops and dining establishments such as Journeymen Saddlers, the Coach Stop restaurant, and Cuppa Giddy-Up coffee shop.

Giddy Up: Horseback Riding

Visitors who want to experience horse country first-hand can take horseback rides at Serene Acres, which offers riding lessons and beginner trail rides.

Olympics, Kennedy’s, and the Derby

Horses have long been an important part of Loudoun County’s heritage. Loudoun County holds the state's largest equine population and the third largest horse population in the country. Along with numerous Olympic equestrians who used (and continue to use) Loudoun's facilities for training, political figures also played prominent roles. Most notably, during the years of Camelot, John F. and Jackie Kennedy and their children would often come to Loudoun as a respite from the pressures of the presidency. Jackie and their children could often be found riding their horses here and she continued to ride here periodically during the remainder of her life.

Known for its steeplechase events, Loudoun County has also contributed to horse racing lore. In fact, two Loudoun horses have won horse racing's most storied competition, the Kentucky Derby: Genuine Risk in 1980 and Sea Hero in 1993.

Explore Loudoun’s horse country for a signature Loudoun experience!